Biographical Sketchaydelott.org/aydelott_wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/... · to Catholic churches, given that churches back in the Gothic period would often use stained glass as a way

Biographical Sketch

Maria Ory was finishing up her third year in Mississippi State

University’s School of Architecture before her Aydelott Award travels

ensued. She is from Destrehan, Louisiana, where her knowledge of

painting began. Starting from the age of seven, her weekends and

summers were filled with numerous painting classes and art camps,

cultivating her love of design. After being president in her high

school’s art honor society, she found out how to put her skills to use

by deciding to go to architecture school. At Mississippi State, Maria

learned how to channel her ideas through architectural design. While

attending school she was a member of the National Organization of

Minority Architecture Students, participating twice in their annual

TRASHion show, and is a member of Tau Sigma Delta, the architectural

honor society. The Aydelott Award has sparked her interest in the

world of research, and she hopes to continue learning about topics

that inspire her, since she immensely enjoyed this experience.

Aside from her schoolwork, Maria enjoys fishing and kayaking back

home in Louisiana, watching film noir with her family, and visiting

art museums of any kind. She wishes to master oil paints like she has

with acrylics and watercolor, and is also an aspiring whittler.

She would like to thank all those who helped her along the way,

especially her mentor, Professor Alexis Gregory, and Professor Andrew

Tripp, who began her inquiry into color; along with her mother,

father, and sister for traveling with her so she could focus on her

research; as well as Daniel Ruff, who has helped and supported her

through the entire process, from application to final edits.

Student:

Maria Ory

Mentor:

Prof. Alexis Gregory

Buildings:

Chapel of St. Ignatius | Architect: Steven Holl

Seattle, Washington

Cuadra San Cristóbal | Architect: Luis Barragán

Los Clubes, Mexico City, Mexico

Haus Portois & Fix | Architect: Max Fabiani

Vienna, Austria

Casa Batlló | Architect: Antoni Gaudí

Barcelona, Spain

Institution:

Mississippi State University, College of Architecture, Art, and

Design, School of Architecture

1

Introduction

“When one says painting, inevitably he says color,” noted the

Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Color is a significant instrument when

composing an architectural space, as it adds another dimension to

design, causing physical and emotional responses, and enhancing

experiences. Le Corbusier’s thoughts embody what I set forth to

accomplish in my research, using color through painting as an

analytical tool to examine architecture. In the following four essays,

I will be analyzing four architecturally significant buildings, based

on their use of color:

-The Chapel of St. Ignatius by Steven Holl

-The Stables of Cuadra San Cristobal by Luis Barragán

-Haus Portois & Fix by Max Fabiani

-Casa Batlló by Antoni Gaudí.

Each of these buildings demonstrates a different use of color

unique to the architect. Holl focuses more on the internal conditions

of his space, using the sun as a tool to fill his Chapel with color.

Barragán uses color with respect to its spatial aspects, covering his

walls with hues to enhance the viewer’s procession through the space.

Both Gaudí and Fabiani’s application of color lies on the surface of

their buildings, using color to create compositions across their

façades.

The analysis of these buildings is based on color through

painting, so a further understanding of certain terms is needed. From

2

Golden: Color Mixing- Modern Theory, a paint set, is some of the

vocabulary in color theory that I use throughout my research. Below is

a list of these definitions.

“Hue: In color models it refers to the main groupings of color based

on the spectrum, such as yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, etc… Many

artists use Hue simply as another word for Color in general.”

“Chroma: Also known as saturation or intensity. It describes a color’s

relative purity and how brilliant or subdued it looks.”

“Value: Refers to a color’s lightness or darkness as compared to white

or black.”

“Complementary: Complementary colors are two colors that form a

neutral gray or black when mixed together.”

“Tint: A color mixed with white.”

“Shade: A color mixed with black.”

Each essay will include analytical paintings created to help me

analyze different aspects of the colors used in each building, along

with the thoughts I had while composing them. The process began in

each city when I documented the colors of the buildings using the

Munsell color system, taking note of outside factors such as lighting

and time of day. With these observations I composed the paintings,

allowing them to guide me through the analysis and research of each

building. I hope that through my paintings and analysis, others will

learn the importance of color in the domain of architectural design.

3

Note

1. Golden: Color Mixing- Modern Theory. New Berlin: Golden

Artists Colors, Inc., 2011.

Chapel of St.Ignatius

1

Chapel of St. Ignatius

Background: Steven Holl

Steven Holl is an architect pioneering different uses of color in

architecture, employing hue into the earliest phase of design through

his initial watercolor concept paintings. After attending the

University of Washington and then studying in Rome, he established his

career in New York. His design approach is quite unique compared to

his contemporaries because while those architects use graphite, layers

of tracing paper, and vellum pads, Holl uses watercolor. Initially he

was tentative about using watercolor because of his respect for the

colors themselves and used only graphite to display light and shadow

with grays. However, he later found watercolors to be the perfect

media for him to express space because they allowed him to expand his

design limits, seeing as the medium is much more flexible and

expressive with the addition of color and less detail-oriented than

graphite. This helped Holl to quickly express ideas in an efficient

manner, allowing him to portray a design consisting of overlapping

volumes with depth and shadows in a few quick strokes of a brush as

seen in some of his design ideas in Fig.1-2. After this transition he

used watercolor almost exclusively, creating paintings to investigate

light and volumes without any constraints such as scale. Holl then

takes these abstract forms and turns them into architecture.1


2

Holl used color not only in an abstract and idealistic manner

when designing, but he also used it for organization in some of his

larger scale planning projects. An example would be the Linked Hybrid

in Beijing, where Holl categorized different colors for different

spatial functions, such as work, recreation, and commercial spaces.

The master plan of the residential complex was then laid out in

accordance to these colors, creating cohesion and order throughout the

area.

His other architectural designs are an array of many project

types, including private residences, housing complexes, university

buildings, museums, theaters, and city planning, where he still

implements the use of watercolors for initial concept ideas. One

Fig. 1. Example of Holl’s painting,

Steven Holl, Written in Water, pg. 36 Fig. 2. Example of Holl’s painting,

Steven Holl, Written in Water, pg. 56

Fig. 3. Linked Hybrid Sketch, Steven Holl, 2009


3

project in particular challenged Holl to take a new approach to

architecture because of the religious nature of the project, pushing

him to conceive of architectural notions on the basis of the Catholic

faith. He sought to connect the observer, the building, and

spirituality all within the project – the Chapel of St. Ignatius on

the campus of Seattle University.

After submitting a proposal for the building’s commission, he was

awarded the project not due to typical architectural representations,

but because of a lecture on phenomenology to the commissioners from

the university. He discussed the link between architecture and forming

a religious space, and this idealized way of thinking sparked the

interest of the intellectual Jesuits who ran the competition. He could

not, however, design as he pleased. With a religious space, especially

a Catholic one, many restrictions are placed upon the architect. The

building must fulfill certain requirements that qualify it as a “holy

space.” This presented a certain challenge to Holl because he had

never designed a religious building before. He learned about the

Catholic faith in order to do justice to the Jesuits and the

university itself, giving form to their beliefs.

The building possesses a certain ambiguity, where each observer

gains a different meaning from the space. Holl enjoyed the challenge

of creating a space not just for Catholics, or even other religions,

but for a person to enter and to attach their own beliefs and

emotions. Throughout the process he met with the Chapel Committee,

campus ministry, students, and administrators to give him direction as


4

to what they wanted, as well as him presenting his design ideas to the

committee. One thing they all agreed upon was his idea of this

“gathering of lights,” or “seven bottles in a stone box,” having color

integrated with the light.2

These descriptions call to mind essential ideals within the

church. Light is an important symbol in Catholicism, representing

faith, truth and wisdom. The fact that Holl tries to capture that

significance is important. Stained glass is another important aspect

to Catholic churches, given that churches back in the Gothic period

would often use stained glass as a way to make the interior of

churches appear “heavenly”. Holl took this idea and applied modern

techniques to it, using stained glass and back-painted baffles to

create a spiritual experience for all who enter.

Fig. 4. Chapel of St.

Ignatius concept

painting, Steven

Holl, 1999

Fig. 5. Steven Holl, section facing western

wall of Chapel, Chapel of St. Ignatius,

Seattle, 1997.

Fig. 6. Steven Holl, section facing eastern

wall of Chapel, Chapel of St. Ignatius,

Seattle, 1997.


5

The Chapel

The entrance to the chapel is the first bottle of light and is

filled with a cool, soft wash of white light from the outside through

the translucent windows Holl created on the western wall, while the

light fixtures, also designed by Holl, lining the opposite wall wash

the space with warm light from the incandescent bulbs. Looking

downwards, the glossy black expanse of the floor spreads across the

space, creating a contrast to the white textured walls. The floor

creates a heaviness that is balanced with the lightness of the airy,

sculpted ceilings and walls.

Fig. 7. Steven Holl, plan of Chapel, Chapel of St.

Ignatius, Seattle, 1997.


6

After the whiteness of the entrance space comes the second bottle

of light, the narthex. This space is to the right of the processional

area. Facing this space from the entrance, natural light pours in from

the southern wall through a large transparent glass window. Natural

light also comes down from above, where Holl has placed a hidden

clerestory window. This pocket of light consists of a red back-painted

baffle and a green stained-glass window amidst other translucent

panes. The natural light from outside shines through the translucent

glass, bouncing off the baffle, reflecting red light into the space.

The light from the green window has the same effect, projecting green

light.

Fig. 8. Steven Holl, entry

hall of Chapel, Chapel of

St. Ignatius, Seattle,

1997.

Fig. 9-10. Steven Holl, Narthex bottle of light, Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle, 1997.


7

Returning to the processional area, to the north is the nave. As

the observer approaches the area, the threshold between spaces

compresses due to the ceiling. Then stepping into the space, the

ceiling opens and arches upwards, creating an airiness. The space is

split into two sources of light, but are in the same third bottle,

creating the west nave and the east nave. The west nave runs along the

western wall of the chapel. This wall contains a blue back-painted

baffle in front of translucent panes with a singular yellow stained-

glass pane. The east nave is along the eastern wall of the chapel,

behind the altar area. It contains a yellow back-painted baffle in

front of panes with a blue stained-glass pane. All of the pews for

assembly face towards the east nave, the attention turned towards the

crucifix that is mounted on the east wall and the altar before it.

Fig. 11. Steven Holl, opening up of threshold into

assembly area, Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle, 1997. Fig. 12. Steven Holl,

close-up of blue baffle,

Chapel of St. Ignatius,

Seattle, 1997.


8

Within the altar space rests the fourth bottle of light, along

the east wall in the southern corner. This bottle is the

Reconciliation Chapel, which is closed off from the nave by a walls

and a giant wooden pivoting door. Upon entering the walls are washed

with light directly from above. The light source is from a clerestory

with a purple back-painted baffle and an orange stained-glass window.

Fig. 13. Steven Holl, western wall, Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle, 1997.

Fig. 14-15. Steven Holl,

eastern wall behind altar,


Seattle, 1997.


9

The colored light bouncing around the room gives off both warm and

cool temperatures due to the compact nature of the space.

In axis with the processional area is the fifth bottle of light,

the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This room is to the north of the nave.

Walking towards it the threshold is compressed again, creating an

intimate environment within the space. The texture of the interior

walls differ, for it is lined with beeswax, providing a slight sheen.

This sheen lets the light of the fixtures designed by Holl bounce off

the walls even more so, making it appear warm. In addition to the

warmth from the light fixtures, the room possesses an orange back-

painted baffle and a purple stained-glass window on the northern wall.

The orange light coming off of the baffle makes the space glow with

visual balminess.

Fig. 16-17. Steven Holl, Reconciliation chapel, Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle, 1997.


10

Directly to the east of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is the choir

area, the sixth bottle of light. The light source in this space comes

from the upper left corner. In this corner is a green back-painted

baffle and a red stained-glass window. Although the green light is the

main color washing over the space, sourced from the light coming

through the translucent panes, the red window causes the most

brilliant effect of all the bottles’ stained-glass. This window is

located in a corner, allowing the light to then shine straight onto

the northern wall’s surface, instead of having no direct surface to

rest upon like the others. For this reason, depending on the intensity

Fig. 18.(top left)

Steven Holl, Blessed

Sacrament Chapel

stained glass and

baffle light, Chapel of


1997.

Fig. 19.(top right)

Steven Holl, Blessed

Sacrament Chapel

threshold, Chapel of


1997.

Fig. 20.(bottom left)

Steven Holl, close-up

of baffle in Blessed

Sacrament Chapel,


Seattle, 1997.

Fig. 21.(bottom right)

Steven Holl, stained

glass window of Blessed

Sacrament Chapel at

night, Chapel of St.

Ignatius, Seattle,

1997.


11

of the sun on a given day, the window creates a red streak across the

wall. This is a rare occurrence, given the chapel’s location in

Seattle has few sunny days throughout the year. This calls to question

Holl’s intent with these colors, for he knew that the colors would not

be fully vibrant for the majority of the year due to the sun’s

intensity in this region. Perhaps the chapel would embody a completely

different ambiance if it were in a sunnier climate, maybe southern

California.

The last bottle of light, the seventh, is the bell tower and

reflection pool. This is located outside the chapel on the southern

end. The colors of both the processional area and the bell tower and

reflection pool are considered to be “white.”

Fig. 22-23. Steven Holl, choir bottle of light, Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle, 1997.


12

Color in Relation to Catholicism

In the Chapel there are six main hues present – purple, orange, red,

green, yellow, blue, and white. Each of these colors bears

significance in the Catholic Church, which relies heavily on symbolism

as a part of their faith. Holl learned about the religion in order to

design the building, by request of the commissioners, the Jesuits. The

color in a given space of the chapel relates to the symbolic meaning

of that color.

Purple is the color of royalty and sovereignty of Christ. Purple is

used in the tabernacle area and the Confessional. Both are places

where Christ is thought to reside in the Catholic Church. He resides

in the tabernacle by way of the bread and wine, and resides in the

confessional by way of the priest during the sacrament of Penance. The

compliment of purple in the chapel is orange, which symbolizes fire,

therefore representing the Holy Spirit within the Catholic faith. The

Holy Spirit dwells in these places along with purple, seeing as Christ

Fig. 24. Steven Holl, Bell

tower and reflecting pool

at night, Chapel of St.

Ignatius, Seattle, 1997.


13

and the Holy Spirit are the same. Red is representative of blood,

blood of martyrs, and the blood of Christ. Red also symbolizes fire,

which is associated with the Holy Spirit. The placement of red in the

choir relates to remembering those who came before us, the communion

of saints in the Catholic faith, and spreading the word through the

Holy Spirit. In this sense, they are spreading their message through

song.

On the recipient’s end is the narthex. In older, traditional

churches, the narthex was intended for those who were not members of

the church to come and watch, but not participate in the mass. This

restriction no longer is practiced, however, and the idea still

relates to the colors chosen. The space is across from the choir, the

assembly space in between. They are on the receiving end of the

message sung by the choir, reaching out to the non-members, trying to

spread their word. The compliment color chosen is green, which

represents fertility, hope, and bounty. The symbolism of this color

ties into the symbolism of the red, with the hope that their message

will reach those in the narthex and proliferate amongst them. Yellow

is the color of light and purity, often associated with gold and white

in the Catholic Church. Yellow is used for the nave and altar area of

the Chapel, where the mass takes place. The color suits the space,

given that Christ is associated with light, and throughout the mass he

is said to “shine upon” the assembly. The compliment color used in

these spaces is blue, which typically is used in reference to Mary,

the Mother of Jesus, but also relates to the sky and “life-giving”

air. Using blue within this space can associate its meaning to the


14

assembly receiving the “breath of life”, a phrase commonly used in the

Catholic faith, calling to mind how God breathed life into Adam in the

Creation story.3 The light behind the altar is predominantly yellow,

illuminating the focal point of the chapel with light that appears

more joyful, while the predominantly blue light in the back of the

assembly gives off a more solemn feeling, creating a balance of both

community with the assembly and self-reflection.

Complementary Colors

Colors are typically complementary when their pigments are mixed

together, they create a neutral gray-black. The standard complementary

sets are yellow and purple, red and green, and orange and blue.4 Holl

does not use these sets for all of his hue pairs, but still considers

them complementary. He pairs together orange and purple, blue and

yellow instead. This choice in pairing was done because of the

meanings and feelings attached to the colors. The nave space would not

have been the same had he used orange instead of yellow behind the

altar. The yellow light shines the perfect tint of color across the

wall and crucifix, creating a certain awe to the viewer. If it were

orange the value and intensity would be lower, creating an almost

menacing appearance. Vice versa if purple had been used on the western

wall, the ambience would be different. No longer would there be the

calm brightness of the blue, but the purple would have lower value and

give off a sadness that would have been unnecessary. The same can be

said for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. If the stained window was blue


15

instead of purple, it would be too bright for the solemnity of the

room and its importance to the Church. The purple gives off the right

color for the environment Holl was trying to create. Along with that,

had the baffle been painted yellow to complement the purple pane, it

would be much too joyous for the space. This is why Holl shifted his

spectrum of complements. He wished to create strong contrasts to

optically galvanize the observer while still maintaining the

atmosphere and reverence the spaces deserve.

Painting Analysis

The mediums used for my paintings on the Chapel are watercolor,

influenced by Holl, gesso, and acrylic on watercolor paper.

Watercolors are used to represent the light reflected off the baffle.

The properties of the watercolor paint allowed me to capture the

delicacy and subtlety of the colored light pouring over the walls and

ceiling planes. Acrylic over gesso is used to represent the stained

glass. The acrylics allowed me to acquire the sharpness and intensity

needed for the stained-glass window panes, for their chroma is

extremely vibrant.

I began by visualizing each bottle as its own composition, with

the exception of splitting the nave into two, each including its own

baffle light and stained-glass light. In order to properly compare the

bottles, I chose equal sizes for all compositions, however the subject

size varies according to each bottle. For the composition of each

painting, I envisioned the back-painted baffle’s light to be a wash of

that particular hue in watercolor, with the stained-glass pane as a


16

rectangle painted on that field of color in acrylic. The size and

orientation of the rectangle is determined by the relative size and

orientation of the colored window on the wall in relation to the

chapel. The “shadow” created by each rectangle represents the contrast

ratio between the two colors and is sized according to that fraction.

A larger shadow represents the greater intensity between contrasting

colors. The hue of the shadow is the overlaying of the rectangle’s hue

on the back wash hue using watercolor.

Fig. 26. Maria Ory, acrylic on

watercolor painting of choir bottle of

light, 2018


watercolor painting of narthex bottle of

light, 2018


17


watercolor painting of Reconciliation

Chapel bottle of light, 2018


watercolor painting of Blessed Sacrament

Chapel bottle of light, 2018


watercolor painting western wall, 2018 Fig. 27. Maria Ory, acrylic on

watercolor painting of eastern wall,

2018


18

Once I composed each bottle, I looked at them as a whole. At

first I lined them up in relation to the spaces with the same

contrasting colors – narthex and choir, east nave and west nave,

Blessed Sacrament Chapel and Reconciliation Chapel. This did not give

me the result I was looking for, which was to find some sort of

reasoning for the bottle placement in relation to their colors. In

order to find the outcome I was searching for, I returned to the

basics – the plan. After arranging the compositions in relation to the

chapel plan, it opened up a whole new discussion for analysis. The

layout of all the bottles with their respective colors in plan

revealed new relationships between each space that I had not realized

beforehand. All of the bottles with color relate across a certain

axis. The red and green of the narthex reflect across a horizontal

axis in plan. The blue and yellow of the east and west nave reflect

across a vertical axis. The orange and purple of the confessional and

sacramental chapel reflect across a diagonal axis. The placement of

the stained pane in relation to the baffle for each bottle also

reflects across these axes.

Fig. 31. Maria Ory,

composition of all

chapel paintings,

2018


19

Conclusion

The intentionality behind Steven Holl’s use of color is not

obvious at first glance. Upon entering the viewer is swept away by the

contours of the walls and ceilings and the natural light coming in.

However, after carefully observing the source of each color within the

bottles and analyzing them through painting, the intent becomes clear.

Holl is an architect that builds with color, and although he uses

architectural elements to portray these hues, the colors are not

confined to them. The colored elements are utilized in a way to extend

onto other elements, spreading the effect, and letting color emerge

from light creating “ethereal effect[s] on space.”5 The Chapel of St.

Ignatius is a prime example of how to design architecture using color

as a foundational tool. Holl wished to create a space with seven

bottles of light, and with that creating seven bottles of color. It

seeks not just to add a touch of color to an environment, such as

Fig. 31. Maria Ory, colored diagram of plan to correspond to painting

placement, 2018


20

painting a wall surface, but to transcend to another level of

architectural meaning beyond the realm of a physical space. This

aspiration strives to stimulate users in an intellectual and spiritual

way, touching their mind and their soul. Steven Holl himself said that

“soul is essential to architecture,” and through his use of color in

the chapel, he achieved this goal.6


21

Notes

1. Steven Holl, Steven Holl, 5-8.

2. “Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle University,” 108-125.

3. Fr. William Saunders, “The Colors of Liturgical Vestments.”

Catholic Education Resource Center,

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-

contributions/the-color-of-liturgical-vestments.html (Sept. 30,

2018)

4. Johannes Itten, The Elements of Color, 49.

5. Steven Holl, Steven Holl: Color, Light, Time, 23.

6. Steven Holl, Steven Holl, 25.

7. Fig. 3 from “Linked Hybrid,” Steven Holl Architects,

http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/beijing-linked-hybrid (Sept.

27 2018)

8. Fig. 4 from “Chapel of St. Ignatius,” Steven Holl Architects,

http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/st-ignatius-chapel? (Sept. 27

2018)

9. Fig. 5, 6, 7, 31 from “Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle

University.” Steven Holl: GA Document Extra 06 (1996): 108-125.

Cuadra San Cristobal

1


Background: Luis Barragán

Luis Barragán grew up on an expansive ranch in Mexico, his

fixation with horses, plants, and water was cultivated early on.1 This

translated into the inspirations for his works, where he includes

extensive gardens, numerous water features, and proportional systems

based off of a horse rider’s eye line. He began his career in

Guadalajara, after achieving an engineering degree and travelling

around Europe in 1923. He designed houses of the Mediterranean style,

with touches of Mexican influences, creating his first design phase.

After travelling once again to Europe in 1931, he came back with

knowledge of the Rationalist and Neoplastic styles, influencing his

second design phase. He then began building houses in Mexico City,

where he used the culture and preexisting Mexican architectural style

of the place to develop his own interpretation of Mexican housing in

the city.2 This new style Barragán created, his third and final design

phase, meant closing off the house to the outside, keeping the

architectural experience within its walls.

Fig. 1. Luis Barragán, house designed using

Mediterranean style, Gonzalez Luna House,

Guadalajara, 1929

Fig. 2. Luis Barragán,

house designed using

Rationalist style, Mexico

City


2

The first two phases, the Mediterranean and Rationalist style,

Barragán is least known for because he was discovered in his third

phase, using his own Modern methods. This third phase was his most

creative because he came up with his own design style, using simple

forms integrated with a touch of color, either a painted wall, room,

or window. He insisted no one copy him in the formal sense, given that

he used architecture purely as a way to express himself. He explained

that he often turned away from the ideas of functionalism and returned

to the origins of architecture, the fundamental precepts, to create

his own modern architecture.3

His approach transcended all of the tactics of his

contemporaries; although some read his plans as non-functional and

elementary due to their simplicity. However, he sought not to make

perfectly composed plans, but to construct harmonious spaces. He used

his imagination to create unified compositions of elements.4 Barragán

placed a huge emphasis on “seeing” his architecture; which to him was

actively analyzing instead of “looking” as passively glazing over. He

insisted that looking was not enough, one must “see” it.5 When seeing a

Barragán space, the observer is thrown into another realm, removed

from the outside world due to his use of windows not facing the

street, only letting light in from above or from a view facing within

the property. He wished to bring back certain concepts with his

compositions, which had been lost in the fast-growing movement of

modern architecture. He brought these concepts of “Beauty,

Inspiration, Magic, Spellbound, Enchantment ... Serenity, Silence,

Intimacy and Amazement” back into the architectural arena through


3

colored elements.6 He viewed architecture in a fantastic sense,

searching for the worthiest way to portray the mood he aspired to

present.

Barragán turned to artists for inspiration and guidance in order

to achieve these concepts. He worked closely with Mathias Goeritz,

with whom he completed several projects, like the Torres de Satelite.

Goeritz created art pieces to adorn Barragán’s projects by Barragán’s

request, like in his home Casa Barragán and the altar piece for the

Chapel of Capuchinas, showing how the design relationship between art

and architecture functioned by one seeking help from the other.7 The

architectural projects that contain Goeritz’s artworks seem to have

been made specifically for that piece of art, the surrounding space

and artwork melding into one, specifically in the Chapel. The golden

altar piece fits perfectly into the red space, and it is evident that

their collaborative relationship was filled with imagination and

design brilliance. Barragán’s inspiration from art is ever-present.

Fig. 3. Luis Barragán

and Mathias Goeritz,

collaborative art

installation, Torres de

Satelite, Mexico City,

1958

Fig. 4. Luis Barragán, main chapel space with Goeritz altar piece,

Chapel of Capuchinas, Mexico City, 1960.


4

He also worked with Chuco Reyes, who “[introduced] the colours

that became so characteristic of his work.”8 Chuco Reyes was extremely

influential to Barragán, who attributes his knowledge of color to the

theories that Reyes taught him. Reyes’ style would not be considered

traditional to Mexican culture by his contemporaries at that time

because of his wild expressive line-work and cartoon-like components,

however, the colors he used were customary for Mexico.

The evidence of Reyes’ influence is apparent, for “Barragán’s

colouring scheme contains the familiar colours of traditional Mexican

art – bright pink, golden yellow, ochre, indigo, cobalt blue and

purple.”9 These colors, however, were mostly present in Mexican artwork

and not architecture. Barragán chose the colors for his designs, not

to overwhelm the viewer, but to stimulate their senses upon

perception, just like in an art piece. The observer must suspend all

Fig. 6. Chuco Reyes, "Pareja de caballos"

Fig. 5. Chuco Reyes, "Pelea De Gallos”


5

ideas of what is “normal” and allow their emotions and impressions to

take over, giving in to the mood Barragán created within his spaces.

“Color is a complement to the architecture,” Barragán stated.10 He

treated it as its own architectural element, often coexisting with

light. He used them together in order to create visual sensations for

the observer, pushing the boundary to prompt an aesthetic reaction.

The sensations activated by color are defined by Kandinksy, who

went into depth to describe the sensory effects of color, noting that

certain colors cause an emotional response, inducing a “psychic

vibration” – an effect that “touches the soul.”11 This was Barragán’s

intent, to impress upon the observer the concepts that he feels had

been lost in architecture. He induced emotion through aesthetics,

applying colors not for meaning, but to evoke that emotional response

Kandinsky was after, adding depth to spaces to achieve that “touch of

magic” that had been dormant in architecture.12 A pinnacle work in

Barragán’s career, the project that encapsulates all of these notions,

is Cuadra San Critsobal, a building teaming with pigments that touch

the senses and bestow wonder into those who see it.


6

The Courtyard

The courtyard of Cuadra San Cristobal lies within the walls of

the Egerstrom property, along with the Egerstrom residence and

numerous pastures for the family’s horses. In order to enter, there is

a tiny metal bell hanging outside the heavy wooden entry door, which

is set into the massive stucco walls lining the property. After

ringing the bell, a friendly groundskeeper welcomes the viewer to the

estate, exchanging “Hola!” and “Buenos Dias!” The initial view of the

Fig. 7. Luis Barragán, floor plan, Cuadra San Cristobal,

Los Clubes, Mexico City, 1966


7

courtyard is seen from this point, just after crossing the threshold.

To the west is a tiled parking area that leads up to the Egerstrom

house, which is painted white over the stucco. One of the smaller

pastures on the estate grounds is to the east. This pasture is lined

with a hedge of the left edge, approximately three to four feet high,

that guides the eye to the courtyard.

Fig. 8. Luis Barragán, initial perspective view, Cuadra San

Cristobal, Los Clubes, Mexico City, 1966

Fig. 9. Luis Barragán, view of red wall and stables, Cuadra San



8

Continuing on this path covered in brownish-orange dirt, at the

end of this hedge lies a giant red wall, which functions as a wall for

the changing room for the stables that lies behind the wall, and

contains a spout for the horses’ bathing pool on the exterior. This

pool rests at the edge of the hedge, extending past the red wall into

the more central area of the courtyard. Lined up perfectly within the

perspective between the white house and the red wall is a giant

Jacaranda tree. After rounding the corner of the residence to the

west, breaking from the initial perspective, there is a large pink

wall that extends to the edge of the courtyard. This wall contains two

openings, both not to human scale. The scale is set for horses and

their rider, giving them the ability to ride under them without any

height issues.

Fig. 10. Luis Barragán, western pink wall with openings, Cuadra San Cristobal, Los Clubes,

Mexico City, 1966


9

Walking around the pool, there are two parallel horse tethers

that rest to the west of the Jacaranda tree, extending on towards the

back northern wall. In plan they are placed centrally between the pool

and edge of the courtyard. Following the tethers to the northern edge,

there are two purple doors set in the northwestern corner of the

courtyard. On the eastern side of these doors is the hay storage,

which has been painted pink. The wall facing the courtyard has two

giant vertical slits in it beginning at the top, used as ventilation

for the hay, breaking up the otherwise solid pink stucco façade. Along

the eastern side of the courtyard are the stables, lined with heavy

wooden doors similar to the one at the entry. The bottom of the stable

walls are covered in a one and a half foot band of a low value and

saturation purple paint over the white paint of the remaining wall.

This band is used for dirt, for when it is kicked up by foot traffic,

it hides the brown dust that would otherwise show up on the white

wall.

Fig. 11. Luis Barragán, horse tethers with pink

hay storage and purple doors in view, Cuadra San


Fig. 12. Luis Barragán, horse stables, Cuadra San



10

In the southeastern corner of the area is the changing room,

which is now used as a visitor’s area. The threshold of this room is

covered by two giant wooden sliding barn doors. North of this space is

another tether area for horses where their saddles are stored along

the wooden clad walls. This is where the stable hands saddle up the

horses or take them off. Then east of that area is a bathing station

for the horses, painted a vibrant yellow and a dull red. All the

elements of the courtyard flow seamlessly from one to the next,

creating an atmosphere of peace and contentedness.

Fig. 13. Luis Barragán, visitor area, Cuadra San

Cristobal, Los Clubes, Mexico City, 1966 Fig. 14. Luis Barragán, visitor area, Cuadra San


Fig. 15. Luis Barragán, saddle area, Cuadra San

Cristobal, Los Clubes, Mexico City, 1966 Fig. 16. Luis Barragán, bathing station, Cuadra

San Cristobal, Los Clubes, Mexico City, 1966


11

Spatial Effects of Color

The visual effect a color has on a viewer has many different

variables. These variables include the area the color takes up, how

this area relates to adjacent colors and the area they occupy, the

value and saturation of these colors, their hue families, and their

shape. For example, if a rectangle of green has a small red rectangle

in the middle, about one-twentieth of the green’s size, the red

rectangle will appear to hover in front of the green field of color,

being pushed forward, seen in Fig 17. This is due to the imbalance of

the amount of color present. If the colors where evenly distributed,

each given the same area, than they would appear on the same plane,

neither in front of the other, depicted in Fig. 18.

A similar effect happens with lighter versus darker colors. If

there are two color wheels, each containing the six main hues – red,

blue, yellow, green, orange, and purple – which are then each placed

on different colored backgrounds. One is placed on white, and one is

Fig. 17-18. Contrast

of Extension, Johannes

Itten, Elements of

Color, pg. 61

Fig. 19-20. Spatial

Effects of Color,

Johannes Itten,

Elements of Color, pg.

77


12

placed on black. Certain colors will appear more prominent than others

due to the value of the background. With the white background, the

purple will appear most prominent due to its low value in contrast to

the high value of the white. The opposite is true for the wheel on the

black background, for the yellow will be most prominent because of its

high value contrasting the low value of the black, shown in Fig 19-20.

In Barragán’s work, Cuadra San Cristobal, his color choices and

their effects follow this theory. The initial perspective when

entering sets up a distinct composition, similar to a painting. In

this composition rests a field of various hues, all appearing at

different depths. These hues are, in receding order, green, white,

red, blue, pink, green, and purple. If all these colors were on the

same plane, with the background color being white, their depths would

be comparable to their actual order. Barragán set it up this way. The

Fig. 21. Luis Barragán, initial perspective view of courtyard, Cuadra

San Cristobal, Los Clubes, Mexico City, 1966


13

closest objects in the perspective, the green hedge and red wall,

would appear closest due to their lower values, contrasting against

the light value of the blue sky. He places the higher value colors,

the purples and pink, at the farthest depth. Placing these tints

farther back exaggerates the depth of the area, elongating it. The

elements and colors within the space are all a part of the

composition, working for Barragán’s goal to create a strange

atmosphere to engage the viewer visually and intellectually.

If he had placed the lower value red in the background with the

higher value pink in the foreground, in contrast with the high value

sky acting as the background, the perception of the space would

change. The composition would become flattened, the darkened far walls

trying to push into the foreground of the image, decreasing the

appearance of depth in the space. It is for this reason that

Barragán’s color choice is successful, elongating the perceived depth

of the space.

Painting Analysis: Spatial Effects of Color

My painting to analyze the spatial effects of color is composed

on a 30” x 40” canvas. I used acrylics for their ease of mixing,

vibrancy of color, and quickness of drying to be able to create clean

edges. I began thinking about the initial perspective shot, and which

method of painting would work best to portray the effects it has on

the viewer. Barragán himself was influenced by painters when

designing, so I thought this was the proper medium to use for


14

exploration of color. He is said to be inspired by the Surrealist

painter de Chirico in particular, with many of the painter’s works

containing points of realism as well as exaggerated perspectives. I

drew from de Chirico’s artworks to find an approach to my analytical

painting, thinking about how he set up a perspective in a painting. I

was also inspired by the work of Theo van Doesburg because of his use

of colored planes, similar to how Barragán composed space. I looked at

the expressionist approach as well, specifically how they tended to

place an emphasis on the colors and the feelings the colors create

rather than a hyper-realistic approach because Barragán focused on how

color can create feelings in his designed spaces.

My main source for compositional ideals was Theo van Doesburg. I

studied how he treated his creations, whether a two-dimensional

painting or an axonometric, and how he applied color to the planes of

the piece. His work demonstrated the colored plane method I needed to

properly portray the analysis of the colors used by Barragán in the

courtyard. Choosing a more two-dimensional, geometric method allowed

me to express the relationships between the colors, examining their

spatial effects.

The painting of the courtyard allowed me to truly see the spatial

relationship of the colors themselves without other factors like shape

of elements distracting from the intended analysis. After composing it

and taking a step back to observe, the painting opened up before me

and revealed this spatial effect created by color alone, for the

colors exist on the same plane. This observation proved how Barragán


15

chose the colors with the intent of exaggerating the visual perception

of the space.

Color Effects of Simultaneity

The idea of simultaneity in color theory stems from the eye’s

ability to change the hues of colors when they are surrounded, or

adjacent, to other colors. In the courtyard of Cuadra San Cristobal,

the effect of simultaneity appears on the northern-most edge. Here the

pink stucco wall of the hay storage and the lavender doors are

adjacent to each other. This is an interesting choice of colors to

place next to each other, for they border each other on the color

wheel. Adjacent colors on the wheel create a feeling of balance and

harmony due to their similar natures of hue. They tend to be not as

Fig. 22. Maria Ory, painting analysis of Cuadra San Cristobal, spatial effects, 2018


16

vivid and more subdued in nature. However, this is not the effect the

viewer experiences. The intensity of the chroma and high value of the

hues used, a light pink and lavender, are stimulating to the eye.

Although there is stimulation, there is still a harmony. The colors

cause excitement within the viewer, but are not as drab as adjacent

colors are described. The unique properties of these particular hues

cause the eye to change certain color effects, particularly on the

lavender.

Painting Analysis: Color Effects of Simultaneity

For this color analysis I chose to use acrylic paints on canvas

because acrylics allow me to mix colors easily and apply with accuracy

and crispness. I set up my canvas with four squares of color – white,

black, grey, and pink. The white, black, and grey are to provide

variables for the theory, varying on value, while the pink is

representational of the color on the courtyard’s walls. Within each of

these fields I painted a smaller lavender square, each the exact same

purple, representational of the purple doors on the northern edge. Due

to the ideas of the color effects of simultaneity, the outcome was

what I anticipated. The lavender on the white appeared of lower value;

the lavender on the black appeared of higher value; the purple on the

grey appeared neutral; and the purple on the pink appeared vibrant

with a reddish hue to it. The lavenders on the white, black, and grey

had more of a bluish hue.


17

Due to the proximity to the pink, the lavender began to take on

some of the properties of the pink, giving it a more reddish

appearance. This creates a well-balanced composition, however, it

still maintains a certain dreamlike quality that Barragán often

included in his works. This quality of fantasy stems from the choice

of color. If, for example, Barragán had chosen two different analogous

colors, such as orange and yellow, the quality of the space would

change. These colors lack the whimsy that pink and lavender contain.

The best way to characterize this is comparing the view of two

different types of sunsets. There are those sunsets when the sky is

sparse of clouds, the horizon is a reddish-orange, and the area around

the sun is golden. Then there are the sunsets where the sky is filled

with clouds, and the atmosphere takes on a pink sheen while the clouds

are a deep, rich purple, with flecks of gold and red. The captivating

quality that pink and purple have together are difficult to match, for

they are so rarely seen in nature. Barragán wished to create this

feeling because the objective in most of his works is to bring “magic”

into architecture.

Fig. 23. Maria Ory, painting analysis of Cuadra San Cristobal, simultaneity, 2018


18

Conclusion

Luis Barragán strove to find and create what he felt had been

forgotten in design. He worked to make environments that let people

lose themselves, forgetting where they are and just appreciating the

spaces. Cuadra San Cristobal exemplifies his goal, for within the

walls, it feels as though nothing else exists, just the landscape that

Barragán created. The colors have a great effect on this feeling, the

vibrancy of the colors removing the viewer from reality with their

fantasy. Barragán wished to bring “Beauty, Inspiration, Magic,

Spellbound, Enchantment ... Serenity, Silence, Intimacy and Amazement”

back into the language of architecture, and with the courtyard, he was

able to achieve this.13


19

Notes

1. Yutaka Saito, Luis Barragán = Ruisu Baragan no Kenchiku, 14.

2. Luis Barragán and Paul Ripsa Barragán: The Complete Works, 17-

18.

3. Ibid., 13.

4. Ibid., 26-17.

5. Ibid., 14.


7. Information provided by Roberto Davila, architect and tour

guide for Luis Barragán works.

8. Luis Barragán and Paul Ripsa Barragán: The Complete Works, 15.

9. Daniéle Pauly, Barragán: Space and Shadow, Walls and Colour,

188.

10. Ibid., 183.

11. Ibid., 183.

12. Luis Barragán and Paul Ripsa Barragán: The Complete Works, 25.


Haus Portois & Fix

1

Haus Portois & Fix

Background: Max Fabiani

The end of the nineteenth century brought about the artistic

style of Art Nouveau, where artists and architects, interior designers

and furniture designers, were all turning away from the traditional

and conventional and moving towards this new style. This meant the

waning of the Baroque and Neoclassic styles with their regimented

proportion systems and repetitive, overused trim details. The goal was

to reject old ideas “in the aim of achieving purity of form.”1 This

purity extended to all parts of a building. The furniture, the

wallpaper, the flooring, the exterior façade – all were designed to

create a harmonious composition where one piece relates to the next.

This composition in architecture took on a whimsical appearance

combined with the discipline of an architect and the expertise of a

stain glass glazier. Art Nouveau was opposed to the concepts of

naturalism, which were emphasizing the rawness of material and

blending human habitation with nature. Instead, the focus was on

creating “beauty, elegance, and decorativeness,” whether that was in

the architecture, textiles, or furnishings.2 However, some would

hesitate to stray from the steady nature of traditional architecture.

One that approached the challenge of the new style willingly was Otto

Wagner, an Austrian architect. Instead of running from change, he

challenged it, but not letting it fully envelope his work. He did this

by using decorative elements, often ceramics and ironworks, not to

cover his construction and architectural lines, but letting one absorb

Haus Portois & Fix

2

the other to create his compositions.3 This can be seen in one of

Wagner’s most notable creations, the façade of the Maiolica House in

Vienna. Using ceramic tiles, he designed a façade that is two

dimensional in nature, yet appears to have depth with what seems like

a foreground, middle ground, and background.

The foreground is comprised of the organic shape of roses and

leaves in varying hues of red, green and blue positioned in an

orthogonal pattern. This layer abides by Wagner’s goal of combining

the vision of Art Nouveau, with the elegance and decorativeness of the

roses, and aligning it with the constructional grid lines of the

structure, demonstrating how Wagner combined traditional techniques

with the new style, seen in Fig 1-2.

Under the roses is the middle ground, consisting of fluid lines,

growing across the building in a very natural and non-geometric way,

whirling around at their own discretion. This is the most modern of

the layers, portraying the popular biomorphic whiplash shape of the

time. These two layers rest upon the canvas of the background layer,

Fig. 1. Otto Wagner, Façade, Maiolica

House, Vienna, 1899 Fig. 2. Otto Wagner, Close-up of Façade,

Maiolica House, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

3

an arrangement of what one would typically describe as “tan” tiles,

although they are actually in the family of varying yellow hues. This

draws the whole configuration together. Without the subtlety of the

background tiles, the other layers would be lost. This foundational

layer of tiles nods to a concept in traditional architecture, where a

column must rest upon a base, the background tiles acting as the base,

supporting the other elements of the façade.

A contemporary of Otto Wagner, Max Fabiani, created similar

façades for his buildings using this tile technique. He was also an

Austrian architect during the Art Nouveau period, and he began his

education at the Vienna University of Technology taking architecture

courses, where he would later become a professor. Fabiani also worked

at Wagner’s studio at the end of the century, where the two worked on

buildings and numerous city planning projects. Fabiani was heavily

influenced by Wagner’s style at the time, seeing as Fabiani joined

Wagner’s studio, who was twenty plus years his senior, right after

schooling – a highly impressionable time in a designer’s life. Even

under Wagner’s influence, Fabiani still managed to develop his own

sense of design.

Establishing his footing in the architecture community around

this stylistic period affected the design output of the works he

produced. He was able to, “[witness] a moment of great

transformations, bridging two centuries torn between the myth of

technological innovation and the sense of tradition and continuity.”4

Haus Portois & Fix

4

He believed that one cannot just simply turn away from the language of

past architecture, but they must transform it. This led him to

“rediscover the expressive power of the classical architectural

elements,” combining his knowledge of the past with the emerging style

of Art Nouveau.5 With this outlook on architecture, Fabiani found his

own approach to architectural design, which is evident in what is

considered one of his greatest projects, Palace Portois & Fix, shown

in Fig. 3-4.

The Façade

The first encounter with Haus Portois & Fix is intriguing, for

the sheen of the façade created by the summer’s evening light, around

Fig. 3. Max Fabiani, View of building when approaching, Haus Portois &

Fix, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

5

7:00 P.M., draws the viewer in, creating an inquiry as to what

material is on the building. As one draws near, the colored tiles

spring to life, revealing the designs of Fabiani. Across the street is

an abandoned retail store with a stoop, an ideal place to sit

unbothered by passersby to observe his work.

The façade’s tiles appear to have a more yellowish hue, due to

the evening light, than the pale green as viewed from images. One

reason in-person observation is better is for the accuracy of

observation. The tiles also have a slight reflective sheen. From a

distance the whole composition is made up of a high value green and

low value green. Upon closer examination it is revealed that every

tile is a different color, each having slight nuances from each other.

They mostly vary in value and saturation, a few varying in hue. This

means that some appear more bluish, while others lean more towards the

yellow spectrum. They also vary within the tile itself, some with

darker edges or a light spot in the corner, seen in Fig. 5-6.

Fig. 4. Max Fabiani, Façade, Haus Portois & Fix, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

6

The tiles create a pattern across the façade, but the exact color

of each does not matter, for they are not consistent colors. The

relationships between adjacent tiles and their placement in relation

to the whole is what was important to Fabiani, otherwise he could have

used two different colored tiles instead of a variation. Therefore

tiles are grouped together for the pattern in relation to their

values, Fabiani separating lighter and darker tiles to then create his

façade’s composition.

Using the Munsell Color Chart of the hue 5GY, the colors, in this

light, stay within the 6 to 8 range of value, and within the 2 to 6

Fig. 5-6. Max Fabiani, Close-up of tiles, Haus Portois & Fix, Vienna,

1899

Fig. 7-8. Max Fabiani, Close-up of tiles, Haus

Portois & Fix, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

7

range of chroma. This is relatively light compared to how low some of

the values appear. This affect can be explained by light-dark

contrast, an affect that tests a viewer’s ability to see value changes

of a hue within a composition. If one has not studied these concepts

beforehand, noticing these differences in color is difficult without

the proper knowledge. Practice with this theory can lower the viewer’s

threshold, allowing them to pick up more gradations.6 Within the façade

of Portois & Fix, this task is extremely difficult to the untrained

eye, for many of the lightest value tiles appear the same. Comparing

directly adjacent tiles aids in the discovery of differences in these

tints, and once the viewer notices one, the whole façade becomes a

gradation of color.

Settling onto the stoop, with late morning light now resting on

the tiles, the façade has changed from previous observations. The

yellowish-green tiles from before are now bluish-green. The sole

reason for this change is the sun’s light at this time of day, around

Fig. 9. Munsell Color System hue chart 5GY, The New Munsell Student

Color Set: Fifth Edition

Haus Portois & Fix

8

11:30 A.M., bringing a visual sharpness to the building and giving the

street an overall cooler tone. This demonstrates the ever-changing

nature of color, its characteristics solely dependent upon its

environment.

In this light the green tiles also appear more vibrant, and the

contrast between the higher and lower values is more apparent. This is

due to the lack of direct light on the building, and the sheen of the

tiles is not visible. It is easier to view the colors and pattern

because of the lack of glare. The values of the tiles are lower as

well, an environmental effect due to the light.

The tiles have slight differences, so this creates a moving,

rippling effect across the façade. This movement goes in several

directions – up and down, between windows, and along the windows. The

pattern of the tiles helps portray movement as well.

Although the pattern between windows horizontally is made up of

rectilinear shapes, they create a wave-like form using the high and

low value greens to make a distinguishable shape. The tiles touching

the windows’ sides are mostly lower value, while moving towards the

center the low value ones decrease and there are more high value

greens, creating a sideways hourglass-shape, depicted in Fig. 10. This

gives the effect of tiles moving up and down, rising to meet the tops

of the windows, and then relief in between.

Haus Portois & Fix

9

The pattern between windows vertically uses the lower value

greens in the same way, creating motion. The main motif of the pattern

is a cross-like shape made up of twelve darker tiles. This cross is

then surrounded by higher value tiles and an implied circle of darker

green tiles similar to the cross. This motif alternates horizontally

with another one, a square of four low value tiles with same implied

circle surrounding it. The crosses are placed between the hourglass-

like shapes, and the squares between the windows themselves. With the

crosses placed within the reliefs of the hourglasses, it gives them

hierarchy to the squares. This pattern creates movement horizontally

again with a proceeding and receding motion of tiles, the crosses

coming forward and the squares moving backwards. The implied circles

surrounding both shapes form a rippling effect similar to the pattern

between windows mentioned previously, the circles nestling into its

profile, depicted in Fig.11.

Fig. 10. Max Fabiani, partial view of façade pattern, Haus Portois & Fix, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

10

Beginning a new day of observations, with the early morning sun

casting its light upon the street, the journey to the viewing spot

across from Portois & Fix is quieter at this time of day, for the city

of Vienna does not seem to be awake yet. The early morning light now

mixes with the façade. It takes on a warmer glow, returning to the

earlier examined yellowish-green hue. This does not seem to be solely

the based on the sun’s light, but also the sun directly hitting the

building across the street, and that building’s light reflecting into

the façade. The building is a warm white, which explains why Portois &

Fix would appear on the more yellow spectrum of green because yellow

is a warm color, juxtaposed to a bluer green, which is a cool color.

Not only does it change the appearance of Portois’ colors, but the

building across the street also leaves a dancing spot of light on the

right side of the façade, a spot created by a reflective surface on

Fig. 11. Max Fabiani, partial view of façade pattern, Haus Portois & Fix, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

11

the opposing building, seen in Fig. 13-14. This effect can only be

seen around this time of day, 7:30 A. M., because of the sun’s angle.

Fig. 12. Building across the street from Haus Portois & Fix, Vienna

Fig. 13-14. Max Fabiani, light reflecting onto façade from across the street, Haus

Portois & Fix, Vienna, 1899

Haus Portois & Fix

12

This effect ties into the idea of motion created by the façade.

Not only do the colors of the tiles appear to meander across the

façade, but the street itself plays into this motion. Whether it is

the sun’s light moving throughout the day, changing the color

temperatures of the tiles and bouncing light off of surrounding

buildings, or the passing of the metro, which casts a shadow on the

façade for just a moment, they all play a part in the façade’s

appearance.

Painting Analysis: The Façade

At first glance, about a block down the street, the building

appears to be a typical apartment structure, six stories tall, with a

rather flat façade. Moving closer into view the tiles burst into life,

their colors enhanced by the natural light. Walking along side it, the

tiles continue to ripple with light and color. This rippling effect is

what I wished to capture, and the biomorphic whiplash shapes of Art

Nouveau would assist in this task.

To analyze the façade of Portois & Fix, I used acrylic, for ease

of mixing colors, on an eleven by fourteen inch canvas. I began with

thinking about how these tiles act as a whole, not as individual

squares. I then divided this composition into three parts, the

background of the higher value greens, the combined middle-fore ground

of the window lining and low value greens. Then, to decide what style

would best represent what I saw, I turned to the artists of Art

Nouveau. I thought this was fitting because Fabiani himself embraced

Haus Portois & Fix

13

this style. Art Nouveau was a time filled with organic shapes and

nature-inspired décor, which is not apparent at first with Portois &

Fix; however, the ideas are present with its natural tones of green

and pattern reminiscent of lily pads on the surface of a pond.

Setting up my canvas, I painted the background the same colors as

the high value greens, applying the varied colors with a slightly

waved brushstroke for the ripple effect. Next I painted a rust-orange

rectangle to represent the lining of the windows. I then painted my

own version of the whiplash using the low value greens, depicted in

Fig. 15. I weaved them in and out of the window frame, showing how one

is not superior to the other, for on the façade itself both elements

read to have the same hierarchy. These colors and methods capture

Fabiani’s design intentions, for with a two-dimensional media he

created a three dimensional effect. Not just the colors, but the tile

materiality and light also contribute to the overall composition.

Through the process of painting, I was able to see the range of

greens Fabiani used, picking up the different values and hues when

mixing the paint. This then allowed me to examine what the colors were

contributing to the façade as a whole and how their placement created

a repetitive pattern across it. With the slight differences of the

colors, they created the moving effect I tried to capture with the

painted composition.

Haus Portois & Fix

14

Conclusion

Even though Max Fabiani is lesser-known to the general public,

and even to some architects, he should not be overlooked. He

implemented color onto Portois & Fix with such dexterity and intellect

with the placement of the tiles, showing his mastery of the trade.

Throughout his years in the architectural field, he never fully

developed a definitive style, however, what was apparent was his

“unceasing passion for design.”7 Those around him said he was,

“constantly enthusiastic about his profession,” this fervor shown in

the design of Portois & Fix.8 There is a certain language to Fabiani’s

work, made to be understood by the viewer through the architectural

element of tile. With this language he speaks of the subtle colors

drawn from nature, the movement these colors make with their

gradations, and the light that dances across them all. He treated this

Fig. 15. Maria Ory, painting analysis of Haus Portois & Fix façade, 2018

Haus Portois & Fix

15

façade like a masterpiece, framed by the street. Portois & Fix is a

hidden gem of Vienna, much like Fabiani, sitting on a street with

little vehicle and pedestrian traffic, surrounded by mundane, washed-

out buildings, shimmering in the light of the city.

Haus Portois & Fix

16

Notes

1. Bernard Champigneulle, Art Nouveau, 135.

2. Renato Barilli, Art Nouveau, 10.

3. Bernard Champigneulle, Art Nouveau, 137.

4. Marco Pozzetto, “Max Fabiani,” 83.

5. Marisa Macchietto “Max Fabiani: Nuove Frontiere Dell’Architettura,”

13.

6. Johannes Itten, The Elements of Color, 37.

7. Marisa Macchietto “Max Fabiani: Nuove Frontiere Dell’Architettura,”

13.

8. Ibid., 12.

Casa Batlló

1

Casa Batlló

Background: Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí was born in the middle of the nineteenth century

into a family of coppersmiths. Plunged into this trade as an

apprentice, he began to learn how to create things with his hands from

an early age. As a child Gaudí also struggled with rheumatic issues,

rendering him incapable of participating in common childhood

activities, remaining within his house and workshop. This limitation

came with some benefits, allowing Gaudí to become more observant of

his surroundings and nature.1 One might say that without this illness,

he may not have developed the eye for detail that he did. This eye for

detail emerged in his formal Spanish architectural schooling, where he

would excel in hand-renderings and design. However, he was “not a

particularly good student” due to the fact that he liked doing things

his own way.2

Another effect of his illness was his affinity for solitude. He

was not an off-putting or irritable person, but he did not go out of

his way to be sociable. He often kept to himself, but most of the

conversations he did have were with colleagues, strictly about his

architectural projects. He never married or had children; the only

family that remained towards the end of his life were his father and a

niece whom he lived with. Gaudí, a reserved man, dedicated his life to

his work. He never even wanted to travel to other countries or

converse with international architects. He was content with the world

he created in Barcelona.

Casa Batlló

2

Since Gaudí did not travel, many of his architectural influences

came from within Spain. His education came around the time of early

Renaixensa, a style characterized by an abundance of ornamentation

heaped onto the cornices of a building, creating an unstable effect.3

This style influence is evident in one of the first residences he

designed, Casa Vicens. While working on this project, he was able to

work with a local artisan who created the polychrome tiles used,

incorporating his own designs onto them. The freedom given to Gaudí on

this early project, introducing him to this world of polychromy,

visibly shaped his style and methods of applying color in the years to

come. Beginning with Casa Vicens, his style took on a more Moorish

appearance, due to his fascination with the Alhambra, with the

simulation of muqarnas and rich colors used by the Moors, pictured in

Fig. 1-3. He then moved into designing with Gothic influences because

of his studies of the French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who

promoted a Gothic Revival. Yet Gaudi saw this style as flawed because

he wished to design without the crutch of flying buttresses. This

decision led to the shape Gaudí is most known for – the parabolic

arch, a structural shape that does not need support from a buttress.

After this discovery his architecture headed off in a new direction;

one that had never been seen before. The new aesthetic created

combined his formal Spanish architectural training with the emerging

ideas of Art Nouveau.

Casa Batlló

3

Some claim he was outside the realm of Art Nouveau, a new style

entirely, but those within the movement claim his innovativeness,

labeling him the “genius of Spanish Art Nouveau”.5 Gaudí embodied many

characteristics of the movement, particularly in choice and care of

materials and drawing inspiration from nature. He followed the goal of

Art Nouveau, which was to “render the essence of natural creation at

the moment of greatest tension and exuberance,” by incorporating

nature into the majority of his designs, whether it be a vaulted

ceiling shaped like a spine or a ceiling shaped like a nautilus.6 The

focus on nature is apparent in all of Gaudí’s works, spearheaded by

religion.

Fig. 1. Exterior doorway detail,

Casa Vicens, Barcelona, Spain, 1883

Fig. 3. interior room ceiling, Casa

Vicens, Barcelona, Spain, 1883

Fig. 2. Exterior façade, Casa

Vicens, Barcelona, Spain, 1883

Casa Batlló

4

Being a catholic he sought to honor Christ through his work,

seeing himself as an instrument. Since Christ is the creator of

nature, Gaudí strove to honor nature and use its forms within his

projects. For example in his project, Casa Mila, the entry doors into

the courtyard are inspired by butterfly wings, or maybe the scales of

a reptile, as seen in Fig. 4-5. His objective was to turn aspects of

nature into beautiful elements of design. Casa Batlló showcases this

method through its façade and interior, teeming with life that Gaudí

created.

Although Gaudí drew ideas from nature, his use of color

throughout this building rides the line between natural and unnatural.

The colors he used can be found in nature, but these compositions made

within Casa Batlló are seldom seen amongst the flora and fauna. Some

of his color configurations delve more into the realm of fantasy,

setting high saturation hues adjacent to each other. The possibility

of finding these color combinations is probable, but it is rare. For

example many of his trencadís creations, the broken-tile mosaic

technique shown in Fig.6-7, appear haphazard, the reasoning behind

Fig. 4. Exterior door detail, Casa

Milá, Barcelona, Spain, 1906

Fig. 5. Exterior door detail, Casa

Milá, Barcelona, Spain, 1906

Casa Batlló

5

them never documented by the architect. However, they are a useful

medium to implement color into the building.

The Façade

The first element that strikes the observer is the concrete

entrance. The façade of the first, second, and half of the third floor

is formed with concrete, seemingly carved from one giant stone. Each

column and window opening flows seamlessly into the other, creating a

sculptural entrance, seen in Fig 8-9. Within this sculpture lies more

artworks; Gaudí’s signature circular stained-glass windows in various

shades and tints of blue, green, and purple. These panes are held

together by green mullions, accenting the trencadís on the façade.

This mosaic work begins on the third floor and extends all the way to

the bottom of the roofline.

Fig. 6. Trencadís technique in

courtyard, Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Fig. 7. Trencadís technique in

courtyard, Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

6

The Trencadís

Approaching Casa Batlló from the right, the concrete structure of

the façade peeks out from the line of the adjacent buildings. Arriving

to the bench perched directly in front of it, the colors of Casa

Batlló are revealed. The summer sun was still out at 7:00 P.M., but

not shining its light directly onto the façade. With a bounty of

indirect light, the observation of color was easier at this time than

other times during the day.

The trencadís of Casa Batlló is nestled between the concrete

entrance and roof. The gamut of colors is wide, but using the Munsell

Color System, they were able to be documented. The hue 5YR is used,

and the colors present range from 4 value to 7 value, and 2 chroma to

Fig. 8. Façade, Casa Batlló,

Barcelona, Spain, 1877 Fig. 9. Wave-like concrete arches,

Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

7

10 chroma. The hue never reaches 8 value, and it is more on the

brownish-red spectrum. The hue 5R is used, and the colors present

range from 4 value to 5 value, and 4 chroma to 8 chroma. None of the

reds are of high saturation and stay in the more brownish spectrum,

however its vibrancy increases more towards the top of the façade due

to natural lighting. The hue 5Y is used, and the present range from 6

value to 7 value, and the chroma never goes past 8. The hue 5G is

used, and the colors present range from 4 value to 7 value, and 4

chroma to 8 chroma. These colors are more on the yellow side of the

spectrum. The hue 5PB is used, and the colors present range from 4

value to 8 value, and 6 chroma to 12 chroma. There are more tints of

this hue whose values are 8 and whose chroma ranges from 2 to 6, which

are similar to the colors used from the hue 5B with a value of 8 and

chroma of 2, all these hues seen in Fig. 10.

Fig. 10. Munsell Color System hue charts, The New Munsell Student

Color Set: Fifth Edition

Casa Batlló

8

With these observations one can conclude that for the façade,

Gaudí chose a few hues, and within those hues he used several variants

of that hue to achieve his coloration. The effect of this tactic gives

the façade a cohesive look rather than a mismatched one. If more hues

had been used, it would appear overwhelming, but Gaudí found a good

balance of color for the trencadís.

The mosaic-work, however, is not a consistent pattern across the

façade, but it does have a certain rhythm. The tiles are placed in

bunches of similarly colored tiles, spreading into clusters of

different colors. The mosaics have the appearance of a foreground,

middle-ground, and background, with the high value and low chroma

tiles as the background, the mid-value and high chroma as the middle

Fig. 11. Close-up of trencadís to

see hues, Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Fig. 12. Close-up of trencadís to

see hues, Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

9

ground, and the circular extruding tiles as the foreground. These

circular tiles are set apart from the others because they are applied

on top. They also differ in that they do not consist of just one

color, but several. Each of the circular tiles have their own unique

composition of color, giving off the appearance of a watercolor

painting. These tiles on top of the other trencadís pieces make the

whole façade look like a painting. Since Gaudí was so inspired by

nature, this particular scene seems the come from the depths of the

sea, the broken-up tiles acting as swirls of water with the circles

acting as bubbles. Tying into this motif is the concrete base with its

wave-like sculptural entrance. To complete the façade, like a capitol

on a column, is the roof, depicted in Fig. 16-20.

Fig. 13. Trencadís on façade, Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

10

The Roof: Painting Analysis

Casa Batlló’s roof is the defining feature of the exterior of the

building. In keeping with the marine theme, it caps the top with giant

colored roof tiles, looking like the scales of a giant sea creature.

The “body” of this creature changes color from left to right, each

tile subtly initiating the gradual change from a light reddish-purple

hue to a vibrant green, using blue as the mediator. The mastery of

this gradient is commendable, for Gaudí made it so harmoniously with

separate objects acting as one continuous object. Up close one can see

the slight nuances between adjacent colored tiles, but from afar they

Fig. 14. Watercolor-like technique of the

trencadís, Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain,

1877

Fig. 15. Close-up of the trencadís showing

the fore, middle, and background effect,

Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Fig. 16. View of façade meeting roof, Casa

Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

11

blend together. Another seamless transition of color Gaudí makes is in

the spine of the roof. This element does not stand out in comparison

to the rest of the façade because it is a small detail that is easy to

overlook, but it should be recognized for the artistry that went into

its design and construction.

Fig. 17. View of roof with its body tiles ad spine tiles, Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Fig. 18. Close-up of the

left side of the roof, Casa

Batlló, Barcelona, Spain,

1877


middle of the roof, Casa


1877


right side of the roof,

Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

12

The spine is composed of two different types of tiles, cupped

ones that line the curved apex of the roof, and bulbous ones to cover

the joints of the cupped ones. Both types are colored, creating

another gradient across the roof. However, the gradients are flipped

for each type. The cupped ones begin on the left with red and

transition through the entire color spectrum to blue on the right,

seen in Fig. 17-20. The bulbous ones begin on the left with blue and

transition through the spectrum to red on the right.

To analyze the roof through painting, I decided to use oil

paints, for their slow drying time to create an even gradient and

saturation of color, on a 20” x 48” canvas. For stylistic references I

pulled from the work of Surrealists, for Gaudí’s works capture this

artistic movement with his outlandish compositions, and from

Impressionists because his use of color is reminiscent of

brushstrokes.

The painting is composed using these two styles, Surrealist and

Impressionist, separated by the silhouette of the roof. For the spine

I used Surrealist techniques to capture its imaginative quality. The

colors of the cupped tiles on the spine are represented by the sky,

which moves across the canvas from red to blue, the colors orange,

yellow, and green painted along the way to show the full spectrum. The

bulbous tiles are represented by the clouds, which also transition

through the full color spectrum, beginning with blue on the left to

the red on the right. This is where the Surrealist painting technique

comes in, for many of their works often contain the smooth blending of

Casa Batlló

13

paint to transition between colors. I painted the smoothest gradient

of colors for the sky and clouds to show the skill that was needed to

manufacture these tiles that flow from one color to the next.

Within the silhouette of the roof is where Impressionist

techniques were used through single brushstrokes of color to represent

the roof’s “body” tiles. This technique was chosen because of the

nature of the tiles, being individual elements, but working together

for a gradient. The brushstrokes used in my work simulate this

technique, a gradient from afar, but if studied closely one can see

how each stroke is a different color.

With this painting of Casa Batlló’s roof, I was able to analyze

the range of colors Gaudi used, picking up its slight nuances. It is

easy for a viewer to get caught up in the design of the building as a

whole and overlook the smaller details, like one colored roof tile

slightly varying from the next. Filling a roof with so many colors

Fig. 21. Analytical painting of the colors used on Casa Batlló’s roof, Maria Ory, 2018

Casa Batlló

14

might seem daunting, or even crazy, as an old professor of his once

called him, but Gaudi did it in such a delicate and seamless manner

that it begs the question of why not design this way.7

The Light Well

Within Casa Batlló is a central space used for circulation, the

light well. This is the main staircase that the residents used when

the building was apartments for the bourgeoisie of Barcelona. It is

not a typical stairwell like one would see today, for it has Gaudí’s

unique design touch. The space extends from the second level all the

way to the roof, topped with a skylight. The walls of the well are

lined with windows, decreasing in size on each increasing level to

control light intake. The light is also a major factor for the

coloration of the walls. The walls are adorned with blue tiles for the

entirety of the well, however, it is not a singular blue.

Gaudí worked with the light from the skylight of the well to

create another design masterpiece. He used numerous different blues,

and as they ascend up the walls, their value decreases and their

saturation increases. The bottom blues have the highest value and low

Fig. 22-23. Sections showing the placement of the

light well in the building, Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

15

saturation, making them appear almost white, some appearing grey.

Working their way up, more value and chroma are added. The reason for

this is to balance out the brightness of the natural light coming in

at the top. From the bottom looking up, the whole well appears to have

the same light blue tiles. When one is at the top looking down,

however, the coloration is vibrant with highly saturated blues. Using

color and light to create this optical effect demonstrates how complex

the characteristics of color are and how it can change the environment

of a space, shown in Fig. 24. If one can master these effects, the

design possibilities are endless.

Fig. 24. View of light well from the bottom, Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Casa Batlló

16

The Light Well: Painting Analysis

To analyze the light well, I used eighteen 4” x 4” canvases to

represent the tiles. To paint them I used acrylic, for ease of color

mixing. I set the canvases up in rows of three, six rows in total. I

began with the darker more saturated blues and worked my way down to

the light blues. Upon closer examination of my photos and notes when

painting, I realized how many different shades and tints are present.

Fig. 25. Lower light well

tiles, Casa Batlló,

Barcelona, Spain, 1877

Fig. 26. Skylight and upper

light well tiles, Casa


1877

Fig. 27. Upper light well

tiles, Casa Batlló,


Fig. 28. Upper light well

tiles, Casa Batlló, Barcelona,

Spain, 1877

Fig. 29. Middle light well

tiles transitioning from high

to low value, Casa Batlló,


Casa Batlló

17

Due to the nature of painting, however, the physical actions involved

to make the colors I had observed gave me a greater understanding of

the colors within the space. I was able to pick up the slightest

nuances of whether a tile contained a hint of green or leaned towards

a reddish blue. While I was there it was difficult to pick up these

differences because of the intense light pouring in, but the camera

helped me to filter out some of the glare, allowing me to see the true

colors present. It is almost as though the colors are hidden by the

light. However, these colors are then exposed when viewed from above.

In doing so he reveals color to the viewer, one flight of stairs at a

time.

Fig. 30. Analytical painting of the colors used in Casa Batlló’s light well, Maria Ory, 2018

Casa Batlló

18

Conclusion

Antoni Gaudí designed to capture nature-inspired beauty, bringing

color onto the streets of Barcelona. He went about it in a way that

was unique to him, transcending the architecture field during his time

with his formwork and ability to apply colored elements. The amount of

detail that went into every element of Casa Batlló is difficult to

fathom because it seems as though a lifetime of work went into it. It

was just one of many colored masterpieces. One of his professors upon

Gaudí’s graduation said that, “I do not know if we have awarded this

degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell.”8 The precision

and delicacy Gaudí used on his works helps defend the latter, for he

was a talented architect that redefined Barcelona, filling it with the

color and design it is known for today.

Casa Batlló

19

Notes

1. Rainer Zerbst, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet: A Life Devoted to

Architecture, 7.

2. Ibid., 9.

3. Ibid., 8.

4. Mario Amaya, Art Nouveau, 75.

5. Ibid., 76.

6. Renato Barilli, Art Nouveau, 36.

7. Rainer Zerbst, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet: A Life Devoted to

Architecture, 7.

8. Ibid., 7.

9. Fig. 22-23 from Zerbst, Rainer. Antoni Gaudí i Cornet: A Life

Devoted to Architecture. Cologne: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 1993.

Concluding Thoughts on Color in Architecture

With the analysis of the four buildings implementing an array of

approaches to involve color in their designs, connections between

buildings became apparent. The simplicity of the Chapel of St.

Ignatius and Cuadra San Cristobal, each only containing a few colors,

but with those colors an entire atmosphere of serenity and awe is

created, with hue as the facilitator. The architects of these

buildings were both inspired by the stimulating nature of paint to

spark their color-filled designs. In Casa Batlló and Haus Portois &

Fix, both have tiled façades with gradations of color working towards

composing movement across the façade. With the light well of Casa

Batlló and the baffles of the Chapel of St. Ignatius, the architects

both used light in a way that enhanced the space, reflecting it off of

the colors to create an effect. All of these connections between

building and architect through color demonstrates its influential

nature in the realm of architecture.

This research only covers a few instances of color used in

architecture, only scratching the surface of the subject. My hope is

that architecture begins to open up to the discussion of color

further, for it is often the forgotten element. Its qualities are

complex in dealing with hues, value, chroma, complements, adjacent

color, area, and light. However, color is a challenge I hope

architects start to undertake, for if these qualities are fully

understood and handled correctly, the outcome is fulfilling.

1

Bibliography

Abbate, Francesco. Art Nouveau: The Style of the 1890s. London, New

York: Octopus Books, 1972.

Albers, Josef. Interaction of Color. New Haven: Yale University Press,

1975.

Amaya, Mario. Art Nouveau. London: Studio Vista, 1968.

Barilli, Renato. Art Nouveau. London, New York: Hamlyn, 1969.

Barragán, Luis and Paul Ripsa. Barragán: The Complete Works. New York:

Princeton Architectural Press, 1996.

Champigneulle, Bernard. Art Nouveau. Woodbury, N.Y.: Barron's

Educational Series, 1976.

“Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle University.” Steven Holl: GA Document

Extra 06 (1996): 108-125.

Golden: Color Mixing- Modern Theory. New Berlin: Golden Artists

Colors, Inc., 2011.

Holl, Steven. Steven Holl. Zürich: Artemis; Bordeaux [France]: Arc en

rêve centre d'architecture, 1993.

Holl, Steven. Steven Holl: Color, Light, Time. Zurich, Switzerland: Lars

Muller, 2012.

Holl, Steven. Steven Holl: Written in Water: Written in Water. Baden,

Switzerland: L. Müller, 2002.

2

Itten, Johannes. The Elements of Color: A Treatise on the Color System

of Johannes Itten, based on his Book The Art of Color. New York:

John Wiley & Sons, 2001.

Long, James Thomas. The New Munsell Student Color Set. New York:

Bloomsbury Publishing Inc, 2017.

Macchietto, Marisa. “Max Fabiani: Nuove Frontiere Dell’Architettura.”

Domus 697 (Sept. 1988): 12-13.

Pauly, Daniéle. Barragán: Space and Shadow, Walls and Colour. Basel;

Boston: Birkhäuser, 2002.

Pozzetto, Marco. “Max Fabiani.” Domus 820 (Nov. 1999): 83.

Zerbst, Rainer. Antoni Gaudí i Cornet: A Life Devoted to Architecture.

Cologne: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 1993.

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Biographical Sketchaydelott.org/aydelott_wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/... · to Catholic churches, given that churches back in the Gothic period would often use stained glass as a way